Illinois ladies facing bc

kjiberty

Shannie:  Welcome to this forum.  This is a great group of ladies!

Lago:  How's yoru DH doing?  

Jackie:  Happy Belated birthday!  Sorry I am late, but have been off the board having fun with the wedding festivities.  

Adey:  Thanks for the tips on the spa.  Any suggestions on treatments or classes?  

Roula:  Sending hugs and prayers your way for quick healing.

Heidi:  I can't believe how insensitive your co-workers are! 

Thanks to Lago, I am going to post these pics from the wedding:  One is with me just after my makeup is done sans the wig (PS--lost the wig 5 minutes after the pics were done).  The others are me with my full-length dress and DH, my daughter, DIL and mom, and of course, the happy couple.

Shannie:  Welcome to this forum.  This is a great group of ladies!

Lago:  How's yoru DH doing?  

Jackie:  Happy Belated birthday!  Sorry I am late, but have been off the board having fun with the wedding festivities.  

Adey:  Thanks for the tips on the spa.  Any suggestions on treatments or classes?  

Roula:  Sending hugs and prayers your way for quick healing.

Heidi:  I can't believe how insensitive your co-workers are!

Here are some pics from the wedding:  Me sans wig (which I through off right after the pics), 1 with my mom, daughter and DIL, another one of my DH and I, and my daughter, DIL, and mom. http://s1270.photobucket.com/albums/jj616/kjliberty1/

Karen

dltnhm

Love the pics. What a beautiful bride and handsome couple. You looked radiant in all the pics!!

IllinoisNancy

Hi IL Ladies,

I'm just checking in on everyone and hoping you're all enjoying the beautiful weather. 

Take care,

Nancy

camillegal

joan888

Oh, I am hopelessly behind in keeping up with you ladies lately.  I am in the process of getting back home after spending a long weekend back at my high school reunion which was a 3-day affair.  What a blast we all had.  Me.... dancing in my darn back brace.

Welcome, Shannie.  Glad that you found us and felt ready to chime in.  Please come back often and let us know how you are doing.

Lemondrop... good luck with your decision.  Dr K is wonderful and, like you, I really do trust his advice.  I am one of his patients who ended up with radiaton damaged skin that led to problems with the implant on that side.  He corrected it with lat flap surgery in April and all has been going great.  I really do prefer that side over the side with just the implant as it is softer and warmer.  I know that I am still in for one more revision surgery of some type on my lat flap side to get things matched up better now that it is settled, but I am in no rush to mess around with that yet.  PM me if you have want to talk or get together.

Happy belated birthday to Jackie!  I love reading your daily quotes.  They always seem so on target! 

kjiberty... love the photos.  Weddings are so much fun and you all look beautiful!

lago

OMG Karen you look awesome. Lovely couple.

DH is doing OK. He's sleeping a lot but it's not continuous. Still sleeping on the couch. I think its going to be that way for a while. He needs to sleep on his side and the back of the couch helps him from rolling over. I think he really misses working out. Right now they'll only let him do the stationary bike.

IllinoisLady

Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.
Dalai Lama

IllinoisLady

OMG Karen --- stunning.  Can't think of any other adjective unless it would be speechless.  What a beautiful bride.  What great memories.. 

Lago...glad dh is doing well. I think ( especially once we have attained some age ) slow and steady is the only way you can go....even though it seems punishing to a degree.  I also think once it is measurably better he will look back and be glad....it is just hard on this side to have to keep taking baby steps to get where you need to go.

IlllinoisNancy....love the avatar.

Hope you all have a nice day.  I need to go get a knee brace this morning.....have some disturbed cartilage that needs a little help.

Hugs, Jackie

ritajean

Karen, thanks for sharing the lovely wedding pictures.  I must admit that you look gorgeous, both with and without the wig!  :-)

Illinois Nancy.........so glad to see a post of from you!  How are you doing, gal?  I think of you everytime that I head toward the Rock Falls area!

Jackie, I hope you had a great birthday and that you celebrated in some special way...........because you are indeed special!

I'm off to finish my book.  For those of you who read and like mysteries........you might like to try "Catch Me" by Lisa Gardner.  I've had a hard time putting this book down!

Hugs to all of you!

spunkyboobster

Karen-thank you so much for sharing the pictures.  You looked gorgeous and the wedding looked beautiful.  Now that you know how to post pics, make sure you take some at the spa so we can enjoy and relax vicariously.

Jackie-so sorry to hear you are having a problem with your knee--hope it clears up quickly. 

Lago-good to hear your dh is on the mend.  Are you enjoying having the bed to yourself? I'm ok sleeping solo in hotels when I travel, but it's odd when I'm at home.

Hope everyone had a peaceful Monday.

C-squared

Karen~  You look beautiful!!!  I'm so glad that you posted!  I trust that a good time was had based on the glow on your face! 

camillegal

 

Adey

(c:

Good morning all.

IllinoisLady

With gratitude, all life appears as a blessing -
without gratitude, all of life
is perceived as a burden.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

IllinoisLady

Beauty of a morning after the rain from yesterday.  Cool but not too bad.  Hard to believe that "the real Fall" is nearing.  Everything must be so confused....some trees already dropped their leaves, but we are mowing again so the lawns are back.  Oh well.....another summer that really wasn't summer, but we made it.  Just thankful that we wont' have to work so hard on the lawn this yr. 

Camille...I have a magnet of a grumpy ( as though any cat could actually look it that much ) looking cat that says...."before my morning coffee, I might as well be a dog".  Your picture reminded me of it for some reason.  That cat is only doing what cats do for about 16 hours a day. 

Hope you all have a wonderful day.

Hugs, Jackie

camillegal

LOL Jackie--I know I have my Katie-Kat but when she's sleeping her one ear goes up if she hears something and if it's strange to her her eyes open quickly. Last nite she very slowly came to sleep on me--she used to jump on me, but she cuddles very carefully now or she sleeps by my head---oofy cat.

mdg

Hi everyone!  Hope you are all doing well.  It really feels like fall today....brrrr!  I am getting ready for the big walk with Lago and the rest of the Strides group next month.  Should be fun.  I also just signed up to volunteer to teach fitness classes at the Living Well Cancer Center in Geneva.  I probably won't start til January but I am looking forward to it.  If you live in the west burbs, you should check out the Living Well Center.  It is BRAND new and they built it just for cancer survivors.  They have a beautiful facility....very calming.  I just want to go and hang out there.......so nice! 

Welcome to our new BC gals.  For those still in treatment.....I hope you get done quickly with few side effects. 

My quote for today is "you only have one life to live and today counts!".  Make the best of today.

Hugs!

camillegal

MDG what a wonderful thing u are doing. Where is it in Geneva? I love that town it's just so homey and pretty so I imagine so is the wellness center --What all goes on there?

C-squared

Question for all~ just wondering if you received a flu shot in the months after chemo?  I do plan to ask my onc but just wondering what your experience is.  Thanks Illinois ladies!  You're the best! 

dltnhm

C-squared -

So glad you asked that question. I have never had a flu shot before but was considering getting one this Fall and that was on my radar to ask ... but had fallen off due to chemo/rad brain )

And along those lines ... has anyone received the Shingles Vaccine. And anyone do this after chemo?

I'll wait for the responses too!

Thanks too to the IL ladies!

Diana

kjiberty

C-Squared:  Funny you asked about flu shots.  I had to call my MO to get "permission" to go to the spa (per the spa).  I asked about the flu shots and she said YES!!!!!!  I will be getting a flu shot next week.  Thanks to Lago for the picture posting lesson.  I am looking so forward to going to the spa tomorrow--it is much needed.  The wedding was fantastic!  I think the main reason I had such a good time was I surrounded by family and my best friends--who could ask for more!  I will ask about the shingles vaccine.  

lago

I got a flu shot at my 2nd tx per my oncs request. I got it again last year especially since I had the worst cold that summer and I never get colds. I plan on getting one again this year. Prior to that I never got the flu shot because I got the flu maybe once every 8 years.

Adey

Karen- Have fun.  I had some awesome massages there and do the belly dancing class if there is one!

C-squared

So glad to know there are other women wondering about the flu shot.  I hope it stimulates responses from our more experienced Illinois friends! 

KJ~ REALLY?!  The Spa wanted clearance?  Ugh!..., our litigious society these days!!!  I hope you enjoy the spa just as much as you did the family & best friends who surrounded you at the wedding! And maybe even more!!!

Good question about the shingles vaccine too Diana!  It looks like your chemo infusions ended July 11th.., I am curious if there is some kind of  time frame when they allow us to have shots.  I'll be interested in what some of our more experienced friends can share with us.

LoriBach

I asked my onc and yes, they do recommend a flu shot.  They will actually give me the shot when the time is right and my numbers are where they need to be.

kjiberty

Adey:  Thanks!  I am still a little sore from all the dancing Saturday night (LOL).  

mdg

camillegal - the center is on 38 and is between Kaneville Rd and Randall Road.  I can't wait to teach some classes there.  I also recruited a friend that teaches Zumba to apply to volunteer to teach there.  It should be a lot of fun.  I am also applied to do some speaking on health, fitness, etc....to breast cancer patients in their Breast Cancer Boot Camp program.  So excited! 

I never got a flu shot ever.  I don't usually get sick.....don't know that I will get one either. 

camillegal

KJ---I knew u'd have a great time just being with everbody.

Flu shot---I know this one cuz it was last Oct smetime when I was at my oncs. office and everyone was rolling up their sleeve for them to get the flu shot and the reason I remember cuz I didn't get it and all the chemo patients were waiting while the Dr. and I debated about and everyone ot involve in the debate and they were putting their sleeves down and the Dr. told me to o to her office an I said ok Principal. So I waited in her office and she came in laughin an said now go out there and tell them it's perfectly safe to get it. Whoa I said I'm no Dr. why would they listen to me? That's why I know but I never had one.

doxie

Welcome to all who are new.  Belated Happy Birthday to Jackie.  Hang in there our chemo gals. It can be so tough, but it will get better.  So glad to be past chemo and rads. 

mdg - I love the comment about never getting sick.  That's me, too.  But here we are with bc and SEs from anti-hormonals!  

I've refused the flu shot so many times that my NP puts it in my health records.  She's a tough one and wouldn't let me leave her office last time w/o a tetnus/whooping cough shot.  She might lock me in this time over the flu shot.

Had my first mammo on my bc breast and all was fine.  I wasn't too worried because I'd seen my RO a few days early and he gives the most thorough breast exams of anyone I've every seen.   The surprise was that it wasn't painful as I'd been warned!  I'd cut out nearly all but drops of caffeine and took two Aleve before hand.  Not sure how much difference either of these made.

Seeing an ophthalmologist today.  Every 2-3 nights I lose my vision in one, the other, or rarely both eyes.  Sometimes it lasts well into the day.  Never starts during the day though.  Hopefully will find out if it is just eye problem (my optometrist couldn't find a problem), an SE from anastrozole (cannot find this particular SE anywhere online other than the vague "blurry vision" which seems to be cateracts or floats),  or worse.  This has gradually  gotten worse, so I could not longer put this off hoping it would go away as other SEs have.

lago

Doxie I know that happens to me. When I went to the ophthalmologist last time they were ready to prescribe distance glasses… but then they dilated my eyes and I was fine. It was just one of my ducts gets blocked and the eye gets dry. I put in some eye drops and I'm find.

Hope that's all it is.

MDG Awesome about the class.

Shingles If you can get the vaccine get it. I got a pretty serious case of shingles 2.5 months PFC. It was the only time I attempted to take narcotics. (Never took any pain meds after any of my surgeries including BMX). It was awful. I still have some slight itching/irritation on that side every so often and its been almost  1.5 years since I first got it. It went on for 5 weeks.

Still doing volunteer work for the ACS. I was passing out brochures yesterday at Ogilvie Station. Also appears like I have some part-time freelance starting on Thursday. I get to work from home. I'll know more when I talk to the client directly on Thursday. Should last a few weeks. DH is still improving.